Minister O'Brien Announces Suite of New SEAI Grant Supports for Homeowners
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien has announced a package of new and enhanced grants for homeowners across the country who are looking to benefit from home energy upgrades.
These grants are designed to make homes warmer, more comfortable, and cheaper to heat. The new enlarged package of grants will be administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the new National Residential Retrofit Plan.
From the 3rd of February measures such as;
- Uplift for existing grants for cavity wall insulation and attic insulation:
In 2022, higher grants were introduced as energy affordability measures, focused on homeowners who are not eligible for energy-poor grants. Recognising that costs have risen since then, grant levels for cavity wall insulation and attic insulation will be increased. These higher fixed grants will substantially reduce costs for homeowners.
- Heat Pump System Grants:
The upfront cost of heat pumps, and the additional cost of potentially having to replace the entire heating system, may be a barrier to some homeowners seeking to adopt heat pumps. To reduce the costs associated with a whole house heating system upgrade, and to accelerate the uptake of heat pumps, a fixed-amount grant for installing a heat pump system will be introduced. This grant encompasses the existing €6,500 for the heat pump, €2,000 for upgrading radiators and pipework and a new renewable heating bonus of €4,000. The new maximum grant of €12,500 will apply to applications already in train with the SEAI (and not yet processed for payment).
From the 2nd of March;
- Windows and Doors (grants available at a building fabric standard):
A new grant will be introduced for the installation of energy-efficient windows and doors (to replace poorly performing windows and doors) for homes where the building fabric will meet or already meets a specified minimum performance standard. Many homes will already meet this standard. For others, they may also need to fit attic or wall insulation – measures for which generous grants are already available. Combined with attic and wall insulation supports, grants for windows and doors will bring increased levels of comfort (as well as bringing a significant number of homes to heat pump readiness).
- Attic Insulation for First Time Buyers:
To enable First Time Buyers of existing homes to get on the energy upgrade journey – quickly and at minimal cost – a specific grant for attic insulation for these new homeowners will be introduced. In fact, First Time Buyers will be able to avail of a higher fixed grant for attic insulation than would otherwise be the case. In many cases the grant amount will cover most or even all the total cost. This will support First Time Buyers who purchase an existing property and might not be in a financial position to progress to undertake a complete energy upgrade (i.e. a deep retrofit).
More grants will be added or be made more accessible and you can read more on this on the gov.ie page by clicking here.
If you want to view existing grants and see SEAI updates for new grants, check out the SEAI page here.